Improvement in feather-renovators



W. BIGGAR & G. MURWIN.

FEATHER RENOVATOR.

Patented'lune 27.1876.

- Inventor: mac;

fltteat @mww N. PETERS. PHDTO-UTHOGRAPHER, WASHINGTON. 0 \Z UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM BIGGAR AND GEORGE MURWIN, OF FULTON, WISOONSIIL {IMPROVEMENT IN FEATHE R-RENOVATORS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 179,151, dated June 27, 187i application filed April 5, 1S 6-.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that we, WILLIAM BIGGAR and GEORGE MURWIN, of Fulton, Rock county, Wisconsin, have invented a Feather-Renovator, of which the following is a specification:

This invention relates to an improvement in feather-renovators; and it consistsin the construction and arrangement of the mechanism whereby the renovation of the feathers is carried into effect.

That others may fully understand our improvement we will particularly describe it, having reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a perspective view of our apparatus. Fig. 2 is a transverse section of the same. I

- A- is the renovating-chamber, closed at top by a perforated plate, a, and provided wit-ha close lid, 12, which covers the perforated plate a. The plate a and cover I) are both removable, and provided with fastenings, wherewith they may be secured in place. At the bottom of the chamber A there is a door, (I, through which the feathers may be withdrawn when the process of renovation has been completed. Opposite the door (I there is a grating, c, with a coveringslide, f, to open or close said grat-' ing, which communicates with the fan-chamber (1, in which the fan his mounted. The bottom of the fan-chamber G is composed of a removable receptacle or drawer, 2'. J is a furnace, provided with a steam-generator, K, and with hot-air chamber l. The steam-generator communicates with the chamberA by means of a steam-pipe, m, and the hot-air ehamb'erl communicates with the fan-cham- .ber by means of the pipe at.

A shaft, 0, provided with beater-arms p, is mounted longitudinally through the center of the chamber A. The beatersp are narrow and curved forward at their outer ends, so that they not only push the feathers aside as they revolve, but they also scoop or gather them up from the vicinity of the wall, and thus efi'ectually stir them up and commingle them. Motion is communicated to the stirrer O p and to the fan It by belts or other convenient method of applying power.

In operation, the feathers are placed in the chamber A, the slide f is opened, and the cover I) is removed. The shaft 0 and the fan h are then set in motion. Air is thereby forced through the mass of feathers, carrying away through the perforated plate a much of the foul air which is adherent to the dirty feathers, as well as much of the dust which has accumulated upon them, While the heavier impurities will fall through the grating 6 into the drawer i.

After submitting the feathers to this airblast for a few minutes the cover I) is put on, the grating e is closed, and steam is admitted from the generator K.

After being thoroughly steamed, and the adhering dirt and impurity thus removed from the feat-hers, the steam is out off, the cover I) is removed, and the fan It is started again.

The object now is to dry the feathers as expeditiously as possible, and therefore the cover bis again removed and the grating 0 opened. The hot air thus admitted and passed through the feathers rapidly removes the condensed water, and carries it off through the perforations in plate a.

When the feathers are dry the door 01 is opened and the feathers removed into the tick or a sack attached to the hooks g. This may be conveniently accomplished by revolving the stirrer backward until the feathers are nearly all pushed through the door, and the remainder may be quickly expelled by a blast of air from theblower.

This machine, when properly manipulated, makes neither steam, drip, nor dirt in the apartment where it is used.

Having described our invention, what we claim as new is l. The chamber A, provided witha stirrer and a steam-inlet pipe, m, combined with a fan, It, and an airheating furnace, substantially as set forth.

2. The chamber A, provided with a revolving stirrer, and a perforated plate, a, and close cover I), combined with the fan It and chamber G, provided with the intervening grating e and slide f, and with the removable drawer i, substantially as set forth.

WILLIAM BIG GAR. GEORGE MURWIN.

Executed in presence of- J. P. TowNE,

W. R. PHILLIPS, J. R. HOFFMAN, THos. J. Ooamype. 

